| dc.description.abstract | This thesis will negotiate the issue of how a city centre may function as an attractive arena for trade and services in a future perspective, focusing on Drammen in particular. The thesis will also provide insight into how recent city development in Drammen has affected people’s perception of the city centre as such an arena. Many of the cities and urban areas in Norway have in later years experienced a weakening in the city centre's role as an arena for trade and services, largely due to an explosion in external arenas for trade and services such as malls and other areas localized in the periphery of the city centre. This phenomenon is a result of globalization and global transnational corporations, and has lead to an ever-increasing need for knowledge related to this aspect. Drammen has recently undergone formidable change, related to building a new image and physical upgrades. This development makes the city interesting regarding the theme of this thesis, because it is possible to recognize the physical and emotional changes in and towards the city and its centre. Focus groups and qualitative interviews have been conducted the spring of 2015 in order to be able to identify these changes. The data material retrieved from this work has been compared and linked to secondary sources that have examined parts of this phenomenon earlier. A central goal in this thesis has been to get insight in the inhabitants’ view of the development of the city centre, and its attractiveness. In light of terminology like globalization and place, this thesis has provided information that the recent city centre development and upgrade of the city centre space in Drammen has affected people ́s perception of the city centre in a positive way. It seems like a lot of people have changed their approach regarding the city centre and that the city centre has become more diverse (place as locale). People make use of the city centre for activities, and to a lesser degree for trade and services. The city centres materialistic and objective factors make it a less attractive arena for new trade establishments, especially due to external trading arenas benefitting from agglomeration assets. The city centre has far greater potential regarding emotions, perceptions and affiliation attached to the place (sense of place). On the basis of these findings this thesis suggests that the city centre ́s potential as arena for trade and services preferably lies in creating emotions and positive perceptions with regard to the city centre as arena for trade and services. | nb_NO |
